PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC), as a member of EMHS, was one of 32 health care systems recently selected to participate in a program to trial a new model of care that will benefit Medicare patients who use TAMC. The program, called the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Pilot Program, is part of the Affordable Care Act legislation that became law in 2010. Under this program, TAMC and local Medicare patients who suffer with chronic disease will work together to enhance patients’ overall health. The program is expected to improve management of chronic diseases, which should reduce the need for patients to visit the emergency room or have overnight stays in the hospital.
“The Pioneer ACO Program gives us an opportunity to bring the future of medicine to Aroostook County right now,” said Sylvia Getman, TAMC president and CEO. “This model will become the norm across the country in future years. As one of only a small number of hospitals selected to participate in the program, TAMC and the other EMHS hospitals will be at the cutting edge of health care. Medicare patients who are involved in the program will start to see the benefits of this in the coming months.”
The Pioneer ACO Program works by empowering a group of doctors and other health care providers to work together to coordinate care. Care managers located in Aroostook County will work with patients to monitor their health, provide education and connect patients with community resources. Patients will have better access to doctors and other health center staff outside of traditional business hours. In the end, better coordinated care is anticipated to help people remain healthy and stay in better control of diabetes, COPD, asthma and other chronic diseases.
The pilot program is being offered to 3,000 Medicare patients in Aroostook County. Patients who are invited to participate recently received a letter in the mail with details about the program. Participation is voluntary, and patients remain in control of health care decision making, including selecting their doctor.
To show how the program works, TAMC officials offer a hypothetical look at a patient named “Marcy.” Marcy has diabetes. She also has asthma. These two conditions wreak havoc on Marcy’s health and quality of life. Trips to the emergency room are not uncommon; she usually has three or four visits per year.
By working more closely with the care manager at her doctor’s office and being able to get an appointment when she needs care the most, Marcy is in better control of her asthma and diabetes. This results in fewer trips to the emergency room, and it is less likely that she will be hospitalized due to these conditions.
“Helping patients remain healthy and in control of any chronic conditions fits right in with our mission,” said Getman. “TAMC is proud to be part of this new direction for health care that helps us continue to focus everything we do on providing the very best care for our patients and their families.”
In addition to benefiting patients, the Pioneer ACO Program will change the way that hospitals get reimbursed. Organizations that provide health care will be paid based on their ability to help an entire group of patients stay healthy. Hospitals will receive better reimbursement for providing a high level of quality care and ensuring great patient experiences. The whole structure of care delivery shifts from volume served to value provided.
Community forums are scheduled to provide more information about the Pioneer ACO Program and its impact on participating patients and the community. The first forum was held at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital in Presque Isle on Monday, February 6.
For more information, contact 768-4012.
